While headlines have focused on how the Jeffrey Epstein revelations are rattling MAGA world, it’s the Democratic Party that’s quietly tearing itself apart behind the scenes. With Trump’s name now swirling in media speculation over sealed Epstein records, the Left is scrambling to figure out how to respond—split between those who want to press for more disclosures and others who see it as a dangerous distraction.
On Monday, California Rep. Ro Khanna tried to force the issue, proposing an amendment that would compel Attorney General Pam Bondi to release any records tied to the government’s Epstein probe. Republicans on the House Rules Committee rejected the move—except for South Carolina’s Ralph Norman, who voted with Khanna, and Texas Rep. Chip Roy, who abstained. Khanna’s push was a calculated attempt to portray Democrats as the party of transparency while painting Republicans as hiding something.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries hinted the party might double down, saying, “If [the administration is] trying to hide something, as many of Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters apparently believe, then the Congress should actually work hard to try to uncover the truth for the American people.”
But not everyone on the Left is onboard.
Moderates like Sens. John Fetterman and Elissa Slotkin have gone quiet, while others like Rep. Ritchie Torres initially dismissed the Epstein focus as a “distraction.” Only after facing pressure did Torres call on the Trump administration to release the files.
More outspoken Democrats, like Maryland’s Jamie Raskin, are taking a scorched-earth approach. Raskin claimed on MSNBC that withholding names linked to Epstein “is dangerous to public health and safety.” Rep. Hank Johnson, meanwhile, opted for spectacle—pulling out his guitar to perform a mocking ballad about transparency.
The Democratic National Committee even launched a troll account on X titled “Has Trump released the Epstein files?” posting daily reminders that the records remain sealed.
While those tactics have energized some on the Left, others say it’s a dangerous game. Mother Jones senior writer Dan Friedman warned that the fixation on Epstein could backfire, especially when there are more substantive policy issues to target. “That’s a lot of real stuff to fault,” he wrote. “But at the same time, unverified speculation on the left that Trump might have been involved in Epstein’s crimes is reaching a crescendo—distracting from Democratic efforts to highlight overt Trump wrongdoing in other matters.”
Veteran strategist James Carville echoed that caution on CNN. He said the GOP’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” should be the main rallying point for Democrats—not salacious conspiracy theories about Epstein. “The Epstein thing is a distraction,” Carville said. “People detest this [bill], and the more that they find out about it, the more they detest it.”
Even some progressive commentators are sounding the alarm. Opinion writer David Mastio warned Democrats are playing with fire. By aligning themselves—even tangentially—with far-right conspiracy circles, Mastio argued, they’re giving oxygen to movements that could eventually consume them. “If Democrats keep going down this road, lending their credibility and amplification to wacko conspiracy theorists on the right, they’ll regret building the forces who are destroying our political culture,” he said.
What started as a messaging opportunity to box in Republicans is quickly fracturing into an all-out messaging war within the Left. Some see it as a golden opportunity to champion truth and transparency. Others see a trap door to political ruin. Either way, one thing is clear: The Epstein files are no longer just Trump’s problem. They’re tearing at the seams of the Democratic coalition.